Traditionally, in-line roller skates generally include an upper shoe portion secured by a base to a frame that carries a plurality of longitudinally aligned wheels. The upper shoe portion provides the support for the skater's foot, while the frame rigidly attaches the wheels to the upper shoe portion. Because of the wheeled arrangement of an in-line skate, skaters usually skate on a paved surface, such as a concrete or asphalt surface. For a variety of reasons, including natural wear and tear, such surfaces are often not perfectly smooth. The common surface a skater traverses is often pitted with bumps and/or rocks. Skating on a pitted or rough pavement often results in some degree of skater discomfort as they skate for longer periods of time. One of the greatest sources of this discomfort is vibration or “foot buzz” caused by traversing the rough pavement.
Skate vibration caused by traversing a rough surface also results in premature skater fatigue. In response to the often random vibratory motion, various muscle groups of the skater must respond to absorb the energy associated with traversing a rough surface. This increased muscle activity results in otherwise unnecessary energy expenditure and, therefore, results in premature skater fatigue. Thus, a skater often suffers from various forms of discomfort and increased fatigue when skating on most common types of paved surfaces.
Prior attempts to minimize both skater discomfort and premature fatigue associated with skate vibration include skates having various types of mechanical systems to isolate the foot of the skater from vibrational energy. Such systems rely on combinations of mechanical pivot and linkage systems, together with dampeners and shock absorbers to minimize the adverse effect of vibrational energy. Although such mechanical systems reduce the adverse effects of vibrational energy, they are not without their disadvantages.
One such disadvantage is the increased ride height required to accommodate the mechanical assembly. In order to fit an adequate mechanical linkage assembly under the skater's foot, the ride height of the skate must be increased. This results in an unstable skate and, therefore, decreases biomechanical performance. Another disadvantage of mechanical suspension systems is the substantial amount of weight added to the skate because of the mechanical linkages. This is also detrimental to performance. Mechanical systems on a skate frame are subject to contamination and, therefore, may cause reduced performance or even failure of the system. Mechanical suspension systems also must be serviced to maintain reliable performance. Furthermore, inherent in a mechanical linkage suspension system is an increase in lateral and torsional flexibility of the skate frame, which is also detrimental to performance. Additionally, increased number of mechanical parts required to build a skate frame dramatically increases the cost of producing a finished skate. Finally, complex mechanical systems are often difficult for the skater and retail shop to understand, adjust, and service.
Thus, there exists a need for a skate having a relatively simple vibration dampening skate frame that not only reduces the adverse effects of vibration, but also is light-weight, economical to manufacture, and meets the performance expectations of a skater.